I hate this myth, so help me kill it.
William Henry Harrison was inaugurated as the 9th President on the 4th of March, 1841. He would die exactly one month later on the 4th of April.
The myth says that what killed him was his inaugural speech. To this date, his inaugural speech was the longest any U.S. President has given. As well, he was the oldest President to be elected, at the time. What supposedly killed him was a cold that developed into pneumonia after he rode to his inauguration without a coat in the cold and rain, and gave a 2 hour speech, still without coat, in the cold and rain.
This myth is so prevalent that I’ve even seen History teachers spread it! This myth is complete bullshit. The only think that is accurate is that he died from a cold that developed into pneumonia.
Yes, he rode to his inauguration without a coat. Yes, he was the oldest person, at the time, to be elected President. Yes, he gave the longest inaugural address in U.S. history. But it wasn’t raining, it was a little chilly, but it wasn’t raining. It had rained earlier, but when he started his ride, it wasn’t raining, and it didn’t start raining during his speech, either.
Over the next month, he would host and attend functions, typical for the first month of a Presidency. If he was busy dying from death, how could he have had the energy to do that? No, that is not what killed him.
So what did kill him? I’ll tell you. Mr. Harrison walked the same walk pretty much every day. One day, he walked it with no coat, because it wasn’t raining, so why would he wear a coat? Half way through, however, it would start raining, and he would become drenched. When he got home, he CONTINUED ABOUT HIS DAY WITHOUT CHANGING HIS WET CLOTHES. When he fell ill, from being a dumbass, he didn’t call a doctor. He had some loose medical knowledge, having attended a medical school for a bit before dropping out to slaughter American Indians in the Army. So, he took some remedies, and tried to get past it. When he finally did call in a doctor, he was too far gone, and died on the 4th of April.
This myth is so stupid, especially when you consider the actual facts, and because the real way he died is honestly funnier in every way. Reblog, please, and help me dispel this myth.
